Bonanza

[Old Doc]

I've given up trying to find out why Gene autry wore a rig with two drop loops but only one gun and holster. Now I'm trying to figure out why none of the rigs on Bonanza had loops for extra bullets. I was watching an episode yesterday and even the sheriff's rig had no loops. Must have been some short gunfights on the Ponderosa.

[Ned Buckshot]

No, they had Hop Sing to run extra ammo to them when they needed it!

Ned

[Forty Rod]

Just trying to keep costs down.  Something in the Prop and Costume Accessories Workers Union contract about extra charges per loop. 

You'll notice the Rifleman didn't wear any.


   

[Ned Buckshot]

No Again! The Rifleman had Mark to carry around his extra!

Ned

[Ace Lungger]

Ned, You hit it on the head!!!!
Later
ACE

[Forty Rod]

Child labor laws would prevent that now. 

[Old Doc]

As I recall, Lucas carried his spares in his shirt pocket unless that was a cigarette he was always reaching for.

[Gun Butcher]

    What the Heck ya think they needed a sidekick for  Humor

[GunClick Rick]

I no run ammo,and you stay outta kleetchin!

http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y283/gunclickrick/?action=view&current=HopSing005.flv

[David Carrico]

I heard that Bonanza was supposed to be set right after the Civil War and the first couple of episodes featured them using cap and ball revolvers. They figured out it was much easier to reload the cartridge weapons, but left off the cartridge loops for "authenticity". That would never work today as the audiences are more educated about guns  and gear.

[Ace Lungger]

Now that David brung that up about the cartidge loops, I was wondering when did cartidge loops start showing up on gun belts??
ACE

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

I heard that Bonanza was supposed to be set right after the Civil War and the first couple of episodes featured them using cap and ball revolvers. They figured out it was much easier to reload the cartridge weapons, but left off the cartridge loops for "authenticity". That would never work today as the audiences are more educated about guns  and gear.

    David is right on about this, that's the way it was, also they didn't want to have to be constantly checking the ammo in the belts, for safety reasons, if it would have been a one time movie, you would have seen bullet loops in most of the gun belts and bullets in them, like david said the first few series they were using cap & ball, which there was no need for the bullet loops and even when they switched over to the Colt SAA's all the new gun leather had no bullet loops, just easier for them, and also cut back on the chances of any accidents happening.

     Rick, you're a HOOT  funny video

 

      Regards

   tEN wOLVES  

       tEN wOLVES

[GunClick Rick]

who needs hollywood when ya got us..

[ChuckBurrows]

when did cartidge loops start showing up on gun belts??

Around 1860 - they were first used for rifle cartridges.....i.e. Henry, etc.

[Ace Lungger]

Thanks Chuck! I would asume that they didn't get real popular till right after 1873, I am not sure what year they started converting the 1851 &1860 C&B pistols, but we do know that 1872 they came out with the open tops that used metalic cartidges.
Later
ACE

[Old Doc]

    David is right on about this, that's the way it was, also they didn't want to have to be constantly checking the ammo in the belts, for safety reasons, if it would have been a one time movie, you would have seen bullet loops in most of the gun belts and bullets in them, like david said the first few series they were using cap & ball, which there was no need for the bullet loops and even when they switched over to the Colt SAA's all the new gun leather had no bullet loops, just easier for them, and also cut back on the chances of any accidents happening.

     Rick, you're a HOOT  funny video

 

      Regards

   tEN wOLVES  

       tEN wOLVES

Any reference for this or just speculation?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

   
Any reference for this or just speculation?

     Howdy Doc

       In answer to your question, a lot of my customers were in the movie and TV business, working in Hollywood all the years I did, I got to know a lot of set workers and movie stars and Producers, but before that in 1966 I met a pard that worked on the set of Bonanza, after going to trade school, a lot of us would meet at a local bar, we were all into watching Bonanza, and all wondered why no bullet loops, he told us of the liability issue and safety problems, he said if this would have just been a movie, that we would have seen the bullet loops on the holsters, but because it was an on going series they felt safety wise and wardrobe wise it was easier to use gun belts without the bullet loops, then and I'm sure now , all those bullets had to be checked for live ammo, he said they had a couple goof offs that fired off there guns at separate times and too close to peoples faces, this is what might have changed things in wardrobe,  I remember one show where they were in another town, the Sheriff had loops with a few bullets in them, I guess they didn't have a belt without loops for him.

                          So this is what I was told back then, and I don't have any reason to doubt what he said, it all made since.

                                                Regards

                                         tEN wOLVES 

[Old Doc]

That's fascinating, Ten Wolves. I love to hear first hand stories from people who were there which is why I'm going to miss those stories in the cowboy guns magazine, from the late Jack Lewis about the old western stars he knew. I wonder why the practice was limited to Bonanza and not some of the other long running series such as Gunsmoke?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That's really interesting to hear about, David, TW. I kinda remember those C&B guns from the first episodes.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

That's really interesting to hear about, David, TW. I kinda remember those C&B guns from the first episodes.

   Yea Will, when the series started there wasn't anyone on the set of Bonanza that were using cartridge firearms, the series lasted so long that I guess they felt it was time move up in time, Little Joe was the first one I noticed wearing a Colt SAA, I always liked the way he wore it, being left hand like him.

                 Ten Wolves